Teachers in Morocco Escalate Strike, Ignoring Agreement with the Government
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- Moroccan teachers continue their strike, which began on Tuesday and extends until Friday, despite the signing of an agreement between the government and educational unions earlier this week to end the crisis in public schools. The teachers consider the agreement insufficient and believe it does not address the core issue but only delays it.
Primary and secondary education teachers in Morocco initiated the strike at the beginning of the academic year due to their rejection of a new system introduced by the Moroccan government for the hiring and continuation of duties for public education teachers. The system involves not officially integrating teachers into the educational workforce, adding new responsibilities, and imposing penalties on them.
Last week, the streets of Rabat witnessed a massive march of striking teachers, numbering in the thousands from various regions of Morocco, carrying slogans like “Death or Humiliation” and other slogans opposing the government of the Makhzen regime, marking an escalation between the government and the striking teachers.
The crisis erupted in 2016 when, at the end of the term of the former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, the leader of the Islamic Justice and Development Party, the “contract system” for education teachers was approved. This system involves hiring them through individual work contracts instead of integrating them directly into the public service.
Additionally, the Moroccan government introduced “education system reform” as advised by the World Bank, referred to as the “basic system,” placing Moroccan teachers at the heart of privatization. This prohibits their integration into the public service.
Despite the expectations, the situation did not calm down with the formation of new coalitions representing the striking teachers in official negotiations, as they were not convinced by the content of the agreement.
Mostapha Al-Kahma, a member of the National Coordination Committee for Support Teachers and Educators who were forced into contracts, stated, “The results are not satisfactory for all male and female teachers. Their demands have not been met. For example, teachers forced into contracts have not been integrated into the public service, and no financial positions have been allocated to them under the Finance Law of 2024.”
He added that the increase of 500 dirhams only for secondary education teachers, excluding their counterparts in primary and preparatory education, is “unjust because I know the working conditions of my colleagues, and giving us 500 dirhams is meant to create discrimination among us.”
He emphasized, “What has been done is an amendment to the basic system, not its withdrawal.”
“Just a Maneuver”
Some teachers considered this increase “just a maneuver” as their primary demand is the “abolition of the contract system.”
Milouda Benazzouzi, a member of the Media Committee of the National Coordination for Teachers Forced into Contracts, said, “Our demand is primarily the abolition of the contract system and integration into the public service, not a salary increase.”
She added to Reuters, “The agreement does not represent us, and the unions that go to dialogue do not represent us. The National Coordination for Teachers Forced into Contracts, which has not been invited to the dialogue, represents us, and our demands have not been discussed.”
Officials in the Moroccan Ministry of National Education refused to comment to Reuters.
However, Saad Abil, a member of the National Administrative Committee of the National Union of Education, which engages in official government negotiations with teachers, expressed some satisfaction with the results of the dialogue announced by the government on Tuesday.
He said, “For me, the government has presented the maximum it can offer. The government says it cannot exceed the hiring of 20,000 employees annually, as recommended by the World Bank.”
He added, “Perhaps some gains will be achieved in another round of dialogue in March. The government has promised us good things.”
Among the promises is the extension of the 500 dirhams to other categories of male teachers in different sectors, addressing salary justice rather than salary increase alone.
The fate of students is also at stake, with parents divided between those supporting the teachers and those considering their situation and that of their children precarious, fearing a wasted academic year.
Zahra Belmahy, a 41-year-old housewife, said, “Despite my efforts to have my son review his lessons, I think his educational level is continuously deteriorating.”
On the other hand, Ibrahim Kartit, an electrician, stated, “I don’t care about the reason behind the problem, whether it’s the teachers or the government. What matters to me is that my three children rarely go to school, then they come home claiming that the teachers are on strike.”
He added, “The deteriorating situation that the teachers complain about is the same situation experienced by many children in this country. The state must find a solution.”
“External Conditions”
In 2019, the World Bank provided Morocco with a $500 million loan to reform the education sector, followed by an additional $250 million in March of the previous year, aiming to support the Moroccan government in implementing an ambitious agenda for educational reform. The reforms target students, teachers, and institutions, intending to bring about tangible changes in both the learning environment and governance.
Analysts argue that education in Morocco has become a “victim of the new liberalism,” with the government moving away from the principle of free education and linking the content of education to the spirit of capitalist entrepreneurship.
Researcher Ibrahim Al-Hatmi wrote in an analytical article that Morocco “began this trend in the 1980s with the adoption of structural adjustment policies that called for relinquishing some of the state’s social roles in favor of market liberalization and implementing austerity policies in line with the recommendations of international institutions.”
He referred to a World Bank report in 1995 on education in Morocco, which criticized “the pattern of public spending on education, calling for opening the sector to private capitalist investments and encouraging them.”
Aziz Ghali, the president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, an independent organization established over four decades ago, told Reuters, “The state’s policy since the 1980s aims to strengthen the private sector at the expense of the public sector, or an attempt to empty the public sector of its role… until we reached the final point, which is the contract system, a recommendation from the World Bank.”
The situation worsened in 2017 when two teachers were arbitrarily dismissed without prior notice or compensation.
Afterward, an association named “Teachers Forced into Contracts” was established, organizing several protests in recent years that often ended in forceful dispersal and were marked by violence.
Searching for a Solution
To resolve this crisis, Ghali said that the Moroccan Association for Human Rights “identified four points to exit the crisis.” The first is changing the dialogue table, questioning the absence of the minister responsible for updating public administration in the dialogue when education is a public sector.
He also suggested a change from the other party’s side by involving unions and teacher coordinations. Ghali added, “For the first time, we are facing an educational movement in Morocco, and a social movement responding to the conditions of a social movement… Thus, dialogue with it must be different.”
He called for more transparency “and the need for a spokesperson to know who is responsible for obstructing the dialogue.”
While the Moroccan government talks about freezing the implementation of the basic system, teachers insist on its cancellation, keeping the crisis ongoing between the two parties, and the situation in public schools remains subject to closer convergence for a final resolution.
Dzair Tube Media Group
Dzair Tube has firmly established itself as a prominent player among Algerian digital news sites, offering a diverse and enriching content experience. The platform, available in Arabic, French, and English editions, captures the attention of a wide-ranging audience, amassing over half a million daily clicks.
A testament to its commitment to excellence, Dzair Tube received the prestigious President of the Republic’s Award for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category on October 22, 2022. This recognition underscores the platform’s unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of journalism.
With a significant online presence, Dzair Tube boasts 350,000 subscribers on YouTube, over five million followers on various Facebook pages, and 450,000 subscribers on Instagram. Its digital channel has become a hub for diverse programming, covering news, sports, entertainment, culture, and religion, catering to a broad spectrum of audience preferences.
Equipped with state-of-the-art studios and advanced technology, Dzair Tube’s digital channel has garnered substantial viewership for its varied programs. Hosting interactive discussions with influential figures across different domains, the platform actively fosters public discourse and engagement. Beyond news coverage, Dzair Tube extends its commitment to the production of marketing documentaries, short TV commercials, and high-viewership programs.
The success of the print edition of Dzair Tube’s sports newspaper, “Dzair Sport,” further highlights the platform’s impact, with over 50,000 daily downloads from the official Dzair Tube website.
Recently honored with the Media Leadership Award from the Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, Dzair Tube continues to shape the landscape of Algerian digital news, maintaining a position of influence and impact in the media industry.
